Pay attention to our climate

WITH Brexit, the heatwave and the World Cup it’s easy to forget the long-term important things in life.

Many of us may have been enjoying family, and our communities, perhaps sitting outside this gorgeous summer in gardens, parks or the countryside.

Too often we take these things for granted, like our health. But when these treasured joys start to fail we should pay attention.

As a nation we did this a decade ago when Ed Miliband listened to serious scientists, bird spotters, gardeners, people of faith, farmers, businesses worried about their future, economists and others and upped the proposed 40 per cent cut in greenhouse gasses to a legally binding target 80pc of 1990 levels by 2050. This was established with cross-party support in the Climate Act of 2008.

This made the UK a world leader, boosted new industries that inspired engineering and not only give jobs, but also save people money.

Now however to meet our Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 degrees rise we need to up our game and go for “net zero” before 2050. This will allow a small amount of emissions, offset by negative emissions technology such as planting native trees.

France and New Zealand have already committed, while others will be there earlier: Norway (2030), Iceland (2040) and Sweden (2045).

To their credit both Andrea Leadsome and Climate Minister Claire Perry are “up for” this and the government reports 64pc of UK adults agree and 75-80 pc support renewable energy and cutting energy waste.

Cafod, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, National Trust, Oxfam, RSPB, Tearfund, the Women’s Institute, and WWF are amongst 130 institutions making up the Climate Coalition.

We can do this in many ways – perhaps asking our government to make UK companies consistently provide information about their climate risk and likewise it should use its influence to ensure banks (development, multinational and UK) support renewables, ending investment in fossil fuels and climate changing energy production.

J Bull